These Broken Wings
by Twihardfan1234
Summary: There's something about Bella. Is it just another obstical for our favorite vampire/human couple to overcome? Or is it the answer to all of their prayers? Read to find out. Lots of fluff, but has an actual plot. ExB
1. Something is Terribly Wrong

AN: Hey all! Sorry for the crazy changing of chapters and such, I'm new to putting stuff on FF. Its the same content, just a different set up. Hope no one was confused.

**Chapter 1**

EPOV:

As I clutched Bella in my arms, I ran as fast as my legs could possibly carry me, back to my house. I knew I should have taken her to see Carlisle sooner but she insisted it was nothing… "just a headache." She was shivering uncontrollably, so I pulled the blanket tighter. _Why didn't I do something sooner?!_

**Flashback**

Bella rubbed her forehead again and pulled the bottle of Aspirin out of her side-table-drawer. After taking two, she snuggled down against my chest and sighed.

"You know, maybe we should get Carlisle to look at you. You have been getting these headaches for almost a week now and from what I can tell, they're getting worse." She looked up at me with a soft smile on her face; it almost made me forget that I was worried about something.

"No, I'll be fine. It's just the cold weather; it'll go away soon." I was far from convinced. I didn't like it when she was in pain; so much was caused by me, I always wanted to fix everything and anything I could for her. She snuggled down to go to sleep, looking perfectly content in my arms. If she was sure that this was no big deal, I would respect her wishes. Pulling her tighter in my arms, I thought about how I would never be able to survive without her; how I could never exist in a world where she didn't. I would protect her, forever.

Figuring a change in subject would be a good idea, I said, "so, tomorrow's you're birthday. Do you know what you want to do?" She furrowed her brow at me, thrusting out her lower lip.

"What kind of a silly question is that? You know I want to spend it with you."

"Well, that just works out perfectly then, because I have a surprise for you." I smiled as she sighed, heavily. I knew very well of her dislike of surprises. But I was hoping that this one, she would really like, if not appreciate in the long run. She was willing to give up her life, her friends, her family, and her soul for me. The least I could do was help her tie up her ends, and maybe even give her a reason to change her mind.

"Is there any way I can convince you not to give me this gift? You have given me you. I'm good. I want for nothing. Really." I shook my head and smiled slyly at her. She sighed again, mumbled something that sounded like "stupid, loving, vampire boyfriend" and snuggled down to get some sleep. My God, I loved this woman.

The next day, I sat in her rocking chair, watching as the morning lit up her angelic face. She was so beautiful while she slept, so free of all that ails her when she is awake. She stirred quietly and turned over, out of the light. Immediately I was at her side, whispering in her ear.

"Bella, love, come back to me." Again she shifted, this time a warm smile spread across her lips, and she snuggled deeper into my embrace. Turning around, she opened her eyes for the first time, and if I had breath, it would have been knocked out of me, for she was breathtaking; if only she could realize it. "Happy Birthday," I whispered softly in her ear.

"Morning." She leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. I pulled back so I could admire her some more, and stroked her cheek, softly with the back of my fingers. She closed her eyes and sighed at my touch. _Is there anything better than this?_

"How are you feeling?" She opened her eyes and smiled again.

"Much better, no more headache. See? Nothing to worry about." Although I didn't believe that headaches for over a week were nothing, I smiled, glad she was feeling better. Then I heard stirring in another part of the house.

"Charlie's getting up; he's thinking about making you breakfast." I chuckled at this thought, as Bella rolled her eyes and groaned.

"I guess I should go and beat him to it, before he burns down the house." She kissed me quickly twice and rolled out of bed. Before she had a chance to get to the door, I showed up behind her and lightly grabbed her arms, pulling her to me and whispering in her ear.

"Who said that was a proper goodbye?" She turned around and wrapped her arms lightly around my neck, pulling her self closer. I kissed her softly, but passionately. Before she could lose her breath, I let her go.

"I'll be back. I love you." Quickly kissing her on the cheek, I jumped out her window.

**Bella POV**:

"I love you too." I whispered at the empty room. I smiled slightly as I realized this is how every day should start. Quickly, I showered, got dressed and made it downstairs, just as Charlie was reading the box to make pancakes. "Bella!" He started, "Happy birthday, sweetie." He gave me an awkward hug, the pancake mix box still in his hand.

"Hey Dad, why don't you let me do that?" He graciously handed me the box with a confused look on his face.

"Are you sure? I didn't want you to have to cook today." He looked a little guilty that he couldn't do this one thing for me.

"That's okay," I replied. "I would really much less rather have to explain to the fire department what happened to our house." He chucked and sat down at the table.

"Okay, if you're sure." I smiled, as I set the box on the counter and retrieved my supplies. The pancakes were good, and we finished them quickly. As I was bringing the plates to the sink, I was struck with a horrendously sharp pain in the side of my head. I dropped the plates and they shattered on the tiled floor of the kitchen, as I yelled, clutching the side of my head. In an instant, it was gone, but Charlie was by my side, frightened, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Bella! Are you alright? What happened?" I turned my head away from him, not wanting him to see the slight panic and fear in my eyes.

"It was nothing dad; I have just been having these headaches. It's gone now." He shook his head, and awkwardly patted my shoulder.

"Are you sure? That didn't seem like a normal headache to me." I composed my face and finally turned to look at him. I smiled slightly and nodded my head.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine. Just go to work. Edward's going to pick me up in a couple of minutes. If I think I need to, I'll talk to Carlisle, but I think I'll be fine." As worried as he was, I think he was glad he didn't need to help me with anything. He doesn't always know what he's doing in the parental world. After he left the house, I realized I was freezing. Shivering, I walked toward the stairs to go get a sweatshirt. But before I could get there, I felt a wave of fatigue and dizziness. My legs gave out from under me as the world plunged into darkness.

**EPOV**:

When I got to Bella's house, she didn't answer. Thinking she probably just didn't hear the door, I rang again. And again, she didn't answer. _Something's wrong._ I ran around the side of the house, panicked, just hoping that she was absorbed in _Wuthering Heights_ again. Coming through her window, I realized she wasn't in her room. Panic spread through me, as I prepared myself to go tearing through her house like a madman looking for her. When I got to the top of the stairs, I didn't have to look any further. I don't know what an aneurism feels like, but I think I had one. There she was, pale, delicate, vulnerable, sprawled out on the floor, shivering and convulsing tremendously. Wrapping her in a blanket, I headed for the door. I needed to get her to Carlisle.


	2. Most Unexpected Thing That Could Happen

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Present:**

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I clutched Bella's hand. She was still in some sort of catatonic state, shivering and shaking. I looked at Carlisle again, panic still in my eyes. "Are you sure there is nothing you can do?!" He opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it again. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"I did everything I could think of. I'm sorry Edward. I made some calls, but I'm afraid there is nothing we can do unless we know what's wrong with her. I have a very strong feeling that this is not normal, and the last thing she needs is more attention drawn to her. I don't know what else to do."

"That's not good enough!" I snapped. I sighed and turned back to Bella. "I'm sorry Carlisle. It's just that…it's Bella." I knew Carlisle was doing the best he could, but I hated being helpless. Then an idea struck me. _Alice!_ "Alice," I called. She was by my side in an instant with a sad look on her face. She shook her head slowly at me.

"I can't see what's going to happen. It's all fuzzy and faded out. If it helps, I know Bella, and I know you do too. And we both know that she is strong enough to pull through this." I squeezed her arm and scooted closer to Bella. She was starting to shiver less, but I could tell she wasn't about to wake up soon. Everyone left the room and I pushed the chair next to the bed. If she was that cold, I really shouldn't be near her. She looked so helpless. I started thinking, _what if Bella knew something about this?_ _No, she would have told me. But what if she just didn't want me to worry? But she seemed too calm about it. _ I didn't know what to think anymore.

I sat by Bella's side, watching her closely, looking for any sign of change. It was then that I noticed beads of sweat start to form on her forehead. Her face and neck were also turning red, so I placed the back of my hand on her cheek. She was burning up, literally. I pulled the blankets off of her and helped her get out of her sweatshirt. I noticed her collar bone, chest and shoulders were also bright red. A new wave of worry hit me, as she was again in pain. I didn't know what else to do, so I gathered her in my arms, ran to the shower and turned on the cold water. Lifting her chin so the water was cooling her face and neck, I held her tighter as she writhed and gasped in my arms. When I felt her temperature cool a little, I turned off the water, dried her in a towel and carried her back to the bed. Alice, the wonderful person that she was, was waiting in the room with dry clothes. After she helped Bella dry off, I came back into the room and wrapped my arms around her. She was still warm, but not as hot as before. She was shaking again, not from the cold, but from muscle tension and convulsion. _Bella, what's wrong? Please! Just let me help you!_

She finally managed to fall asleep, after cooling down considerably, so I wrapped the blankets around her and took my place, again, in the chair by her side. I have never seen someone suffer this much, unless suffering from a vampire bite. Even though she was sleeping, it wasn't her usual peaceful sleep. She made pained expressions and tossed about. I wasn't used to not being able to help Bella when she was in trouble. I had always saved her time and time again. She needed me; not because she was helpless, but because the universe seemed to conspire against her. Against us. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. Every step we were able to take towards happiness was ripped out from under us by unseen malevolent forces. If anything happens to Bella…I'm done. And if she pulls through this, whatever _this_ is, I make a vow right now, to make every second we have together last; to make every moment the best it could possibly be. I will give her whatever she wants. No, I'll give her _everything_. I will change her. And when she is ready to go back into the world, I will fill it with every possible experience she could ever want. Thinking that she had died made me devoted to making sure nothing took away from her life, not even me; but this made me realize that I don't just want to keep from detracting from her life, I want to _add_ to it. I finally realized that I couldn't wait anymore to start my life with her. There wouldn't be much time if I didn't. I was ready.

I fiddled with an envelope in my hands. It was simple gold wrapping paper with a ribbon around it, that cast rainbows when the light caught on. It was her birthday present. They were tickets to Phoenix for the summer, so she could see her friends, stay with her mom for a while, and to tie up all of her ends. If she was going to give all of them up for me, I didn't want her regretting not spending more time with them. I knew she wouldn't like the fact that I spent money on her; she was really not going to like that the tickets are first class, but she deserves nothing less. I also knew that this trip would be difficult for us. I would go down there with her, but I would come back and forth a couple of times. I couldn't just stay inside, it would be too conspicuous, but the desire to never part from her was weighing heavily on my inclination to not care what others thought. But she needed this uninterrupted, un-chaperoned time with her friends, and I wasn't about to get in the way of that. When this is over and she has rested, I'll give it to her, she will need something to cheer her up.

All of a sudden she started to moan and toss and turn. When I sat beside her and gently grabbed her shoulders, she screamed. The scream was one of confusion, fear and utter panic. Then there was only pain. She started convulsing, dangerously; she was thrashing and screaming, like something was tearing out her insides. Her cries were blood-curdling, and the rest of the family was by my side, panic on their faces, seeing what they could do. I clutched Bella tightly to my chest, as her back arched and she let out another cry. I didn't know what to do; I had to restrain her so she didn't hurt herself, but I couldn't hold her too tight without hurting her myself. Something was killing her from the inside out. I was talking to her, trying to bring her out of whatever was happening to her, but she just screamed louder, as tears started streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't hear me. Her breathing was labored and she looked tired and worn out. She let out a choking breath, that sounded like a shredded cry, as her back arched; it looked like her chest was about to be ripped open. But then, suddenly, she thrashed forward; and these big, feathery wings tore out of her back. She gasped several times, then, slumped backward, unconscious.

I was so awe-stricken, all I was able to do was lean her back against the bed, before I fell into a shock induced state. I stared at her face, which was darker than usual; she had huge, purple circles under her eyes, her cheeks were lit by the light from the lamp, shining on her sweat, and her hair was soaked to her forehead. Then my eyes drifted to the huge wings, spanned about 8 feet, that were fanned out from behind her. They were dark grey, with a slight shine to them. They looked soft, but strong. I couldn't wrap my mind around what had happened, and by the lack of thoughts from the rest of my family, neither could they.


	3. What Is Happening To Me?

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**: previous scene

I was trapped. I could feel and taste and smell and hear, but I couldn't see and I couldn't do anything about it. There I was, inside myself, being held against my will. What was happening to me? Nothing like this has ever happened before. This isn't normal…is it? I was so cold. Unbelievably cold. It felt like Edward was holding me, but I couldn't feel the contours of his body that I knew so well. I could feel myself shivering excessively. It was then, when I was trying to figure out the source of my chills, when my mind started playing tricks on me. I thought I was hallucinating, but I couldn't be sure. I saw flashes. Of people I've never seen before. They were all different ages, ethnicities, personalities. They were all from different times; and they were all powerful, beautiful and strong. They had stories, stories I felt that I should know. Stories that the world needs to be told. But they were moving so fast, I couldn't grab onto any of them. They just passed in a blur. That was when I started to get really hot; burning, but I couldn't cry out. I felt something wet and cold touch my face, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Then it was gone; and my mind went blank again. This time, when I felt like I was gaining consciousness, it was because there was this indescribable pain originating in my chest. It felt like a Tasmanian devil tearing out my insides. Words cannot describe what the pain felt like; it was indescribable. Lucifer wouldn't wish this even on his worst enemies, and it was 100 times more terrible than the stinging burn of a vampire bite. The people I had seen told me something, something important. _I_ was something important. But at this point, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. It killed me that the pain I was enduring made me forget Edward, and I had to ask myself if even Edward was worth this agony. Of course he was. But the realization that I even questioned him and my love for him destroyed me. I prayed for death to save me from this pain, this hurt that made me less of the person that Edward deserved, made me less of the person I deserved to be. The seventh circle of hell was reserved for the evil that inflicted this kind of pain. I didn't know if I would survive; I didn't know what would happen next, but I did know that if I made it through this, nothing, and I do mean nothing, would keep me from Edward. Ever. Sweat covered every inch of me, there was a ringing in my ears, and I tasted blood. I heard screaming, but I didn't know if it was coming from me. I could feel my spine folding and twisting, my every cell transforming. Then my heart shattered, stopped and started again; my body exploded leaving me exposed and vulnerable. And just as if it had never happened, it was over; so I let myself rest.

**EPOV:**

She was finally resting, and I didn't have the audacity to wake her. I was still too shell shocked to say much, so it was a good thing my family accepted a few short words and a nod, then left the room. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say. This was so far outside my realm of understanding, and knowledge, that I didn't even know where to begin.

It was just as I was wishing that someone would appear and explain this all to me, someone did.

Pacing around the room, I noticed something in my peripheral vision in the mirror. Turning around, I gasped and snarled. This man, African, standing 6 feet tall, in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, stood motionless in the corner of the room staring at Bella. "Who are you?" I snapped, showing my teeth. "Get out!"

Neither my tone, nor my threat seemed to faze him, for he slowly turned his attention toward me and spoke softly, "I mean you no harm. My name is Caleb."

"What do you want?" I wasn't backing down, and I was not convinced that he wasn't dangerous to Bella.

"I am Isabella's guardian, and I have come to explain things to her. But I can see she is resting. That's good. She has been through a lot these last few days, she needs her rest."

I squinted my eyes at this strangely stoic man. He seemed sincere, but I couldn't be sure. Trying to read his mind, I got hit by the same wall that blocked me from Bella's. _Interesting._

"You cannot read my mind, vampire," he said suddenly. Turning his body so he was fully facing me, he continued. "For the same reason you cannot read hers. We are above your powers. Sorry," he said without the least bit of remorse.

"What are you—"

"Wait." He stopped me short. "When she wakes, I will explain everything." With that, he was gone.

The rest of my family piled into the room one after another. "Who was that?" Alice asked. _What impeccable timing they have_, I thought dryly.

"I don't know."


	4. Important Author's note!

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

No copyright infringement intended.

I do not own Twilight, I hope to one day, but as of now…nope still don't.

Sorry for any offense.


	5. Four Hundred and SeventyTwo

Chapter 4

AN: A big thank you to the all of you who added me to Story Alert, and Favorite Stories; and especially to the two of you who reviewed. You know who you are, and you rock! I never knew that having people like your story would be so gratifying. Sorry that this chapter doesn't have a lot going on in it, but I feel that the transition is essential to move the plot forward. I hope to have a very interesting next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own characters and plot direction. Other than that, everything belongs to SM.

**Chapter 4**

**BPOV**:

When my eyes fluttered open, I stared blankly at the view ahead of me. It was that short moment right when you wake up that you forget that you were sleeping, dreaming and you haven't yet realized that you are awake. As my consciousness started to seep back in, I still didn't move. I just stared at the bedside table. There was nothing overtly special about it; it looked like any other beside table. It had a lamp on it, and a book. I just stared at it, nonetheless, fascinated. I could see every fiber that made up the lamp shade. There was a light, barely noticeable layer of dust on the table, but notice I did. Suddenly I heard a shuffling to my left, but I didn't turn in the direction.

"Bella?" The voice sounded familiar… "Bella?!" He sounded stressed and a little panicked. I knew I should answer him, but I was too enthralled by the damn bedside table.

"Four hundred and seventy two." I stated, just a simple number, a simple fact.

"What?" He paused and then, sitting on the bed by my feet, he said more softly, "Bella?"

"There are four hundred and seventy two pages in that book." No answer. "The binding is made from cloth, like they did up until the 20th century, when they replaced it with clothette, a thick paper that closely resembles cloth, but is easily differentiated." I took a breath, not really caring what was coming out of my mouth; I didn't really understand what I was saying, but for some reason, I was _way_ too tired to care. "This book is really old," I said almost apathetically.

"Bella? Are you alright? Answer me!" His desperate panic woke me from my slight trance and I turned my head to look at him.

"Edward?" I grumbled, barely coherent. The look in his eyes reminded me of something. Then it all came flooding back. I gasped. Everything I had experienced, everything I now knew came to me in an instant. I was inundated with stories, facts, faces; nothing was familiar, but I knew it all. But that wasn't all either. I remembered the pain; I remembered the trapped feeling. I remembered being alone. And then I started to cry.

**EPOV:**

She curled herself into a ball, and I pulled her to me, letting her get out all of her tears. She had experienced way too much. She needed an outlet, she needed to cry and I wasn't about to stop her.

The next morning, I watched the sun rise, Bella in my arms, and the light casting a warm glow on the room. She had fallen asleep late into the night, and I didn't know how long she was going to sleep this morning, but I was perfectly fine with her safe and calm in my arms. It was then that she started to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me intently. "Morning, love. How are you feeling?" I asked as I stroked her cheek.

"I'm…better," she said with uncertainty.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I knew she would feel better talking about her feelings, but I didn't know if she was ready. I also knew that Caleb would be back. I didn't know if we could trust him, but even if we couldn't, he still might have some helpful information.

"Not right now." I just finished asking her if she were hungry, when Alice walked in with a tray of pancakes. As Bella ate, I explained to her about Caleb and what he had said, and what I had seen. She did tell me a little about what she had experienced over the past two days, but nothing involving her emotions. Everything she said was objective. I could tell she was avoiding the subject, but I didn't want to push.

"I don't really know what any of it means. Now, all of a sudden, I can see, and hear, and smell and touch things differently and…better. Everything is intensified. I know things that I couldn't possibly know. Things I shouldn't know. I mean, I can tell you that there are exactly eight-hundred and forty-five CDs on that wall, not including the records, you got that desk in Belgium, and Carlisle is reading in his study right now. How do I know any of that?! I have no idea what is going on. I have never heard of anything like this." She paused, and then a thought struck her. "Not to mention, you said I had wings. What the hell does that mean?!"

The next thing she said surprised me.

"I know I'm not a vampire, right? Because my heart is still beating, and I don't feel a hunger for blood, and I just ate real food, which was very good by the way." I looked at her a little strangely, and then let out a small laugh.

"No, you're not a vampire." Then in all seriousness, I said, "I, frankly, don't know what you are. Hopefully, we can trust this Caleb person, and he will tell us what is going on."

As if he were being summoned. I heard a stirring down stairs. I wrapped Bella in the blanket and carried her down the stairs, into the living room. There he stood, perfectly still and composed, in the door way.

"Bella, hello. We have not been formally introduced. My name is Caleb." I watched Bella, who stared at the stranger skeptically. She instinctively drew herself closer to me, as I sat down on the couch and placed her next to me.

"Who are you?"

"I am your Guardian, and I'm here to explain everything."

A/N: Please review! Tell me what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong. I want to hear it. Thanks.


	6. Another important author

AN: Important

AN: Important!!

For those of you, who are confused as to when this is taking place, let me explain.

Most everything that happened in NM and Eclipse happened, however it is only the right before her senior year in highschool now in this story. Everything that supposedly happened, happened before 12th grade.

Also, Edward has not proposed to Bella yet.

Hope this helps when reading the story. Sorry for any confusion.

PS. I am now done with AP exams, so I will try to be updating a lot more frequently now.


	7. Explanations

AN: I Don't own Twilight.

Chapter 5

BPOV:

No one said anything. In fact, no one did much of anything at all. Caleb stood, unmoving, unfazed, in the family room; he was looking at me intently, but he wasn't staring. Emmet stared at the floor several feet in front of him, with his elbows on his knees and his hands laced together, while Rosalie just picked at one of her nails, trying to look disinterested and not like she couldn't think of anything to say. I could feel Carlisle and Esme's mouths opening and closing; the need to say something, anything, was bubbling up inside of them. Alice, for the first time ever, was silent. But that didn't mean her mouth was closed. She gaped, open-mouthed, eyes wide, completely bewildered. Jasper's brow was furrowed as he kept glancing sideways between me and Caleb, like he didn't believe anything anymore. And Edward's expression was unfathomable. And I just sat, unmoving, barely breathing. Suddenly I laughed, a breathy hysterical giggle, but a laugh nonetheless and everyone turned to look at me.

"I'm sorry. I'm a what?"

Caleb didn't miss a beat, and he seemed completely at ease, despite all of our different expressions. "An angel." I turned abruptly to Edward, with the same expression on my face.

Carlisle was the next to chime in; bless his heart, because I could not find the ability to speak. "What exactly does that mean? These vague answers and you're roundabout phrasing is not getting any of us any closer to understanding." He was always the practical one.

"I apologize for my laconic behavior. Sit and I will explain." Then he turned to me. "Bella, your maternal grandmother, Edith, was, in fact, an angel. She was also a very dear friend of mine. When she turned 18, she was called. She loved her sacred destiny at first. It was something about herself that she treasured and always wanted to share with the ones she loved. But then she met your grandfather and she decided that she wanted to have a family, a normal life. When your mother was growing up, your grandmother knew that she was not the right person to carry out her destiny. Then as she watched you grow up, she knew that this was _your_ destiny. Before she died, she passed her gift along to you, in hopes that you would continue for her. She knew your strength, your passion for life, you instinctual nature to protect others before yourself, and felt confident that you would do great things."

Tears were brimming over my eyes and streaming down my cheeks. I had no idea that my grandmother had put so much faith in me. That she had such high hopes for me. Although I still didn't understand everything about what was happening to me, I had an idea of what a huge decision this must have been for her. I had these feelings that vaguely explained to me what my basic instincts to do were: pray, care, and save as many as I could; but these instincts didn't explain why I had them. I sniffled when he paused and wiped my cheeks lightly. "But what does this mean? And why are you here?"

"I am a guardian. Our sole purpose, once we are called as such, is to protect and raise, if necessary, the next generation. You," he paused, putting emphasis on his directed comment, "are a very difficult child to keep alive." Everyone snickered and I shot glances all around. He continued. "Keeping an eye on you was a full time job. Then you started associating with vampires!" he exclaimed with an exaggerated hand gesture. "I thought it couldn't get much worse. But as it turns out, he actually made my job much easier." As he said this, he pointed to Edward, who wrapped his arm tighter around me.

I was trying to get the whole picture mapped out in my mind, but there were still pieces missing. So I started thinking out loud. "Okay, so…I am an angel." I made a face at this word because it seemed still a little too strange to believe, but believe I did. "My grandmother gave me this…responsibility, job, gift, whatever. And you are here to protect me because I am a… but what does that mean? What am I supposed to do?" I knew I had to help people. I knew I had to care about the world and everyone in it, and I knew I had the ability to protect them. But I didn't know what I could do. Was I supposed to be trained? Or was I just supposed to know what to do already? Was it bad that I didn't?

Caleb began, still speaking only to me, despite the audience. "You have abilities innate to all angels. You also have special gifts of your own. These will present themselves in due time, but you will need to be trained so you know how to use them. You have not gained your full strength, but when you do…you will be quite powerful. I'm sure you have already noticed your heightened senses, your rather intense knowledge base, and your ability to sense and detect. You will also be incredibly fast." He stopped, probably due to my incredulous expression. I don't know what my face looked like, but it was probably funny. Suddenly he gained a sly smile, "You can also fly."

At this my eyes widened even more, and they felt like they were going to fall out of my head. But then a slight smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "No. Way." He laughed lightly, then composed himself quickly. He didn't seem like one to show much emotion.

He looked around at the rest of the Cullens, then focused his attention on Edward and me. "There is also something else…something big; something that you," he gestured to Edward, "will really appreciate, and something that you," his eyes rested on me, "will find very beneficial." I'm guessing he was pausing for dramatic effect and it was working. I could barely take the suspense. I leaned forward to encourage him to continue. He tilted his head and spoke softly. "You don't have to die."

AN: sorry for the cliff-hanger. I couldn't help myself. Please review. I really want to know what people think. Even if you think it sucks, I want to know.


	8. Explanations, Part II

**Author's Note: Sorry that took so long. A little bit of an understatement, I know. But I hope to update more. I apologize in advance. I am not a person who can update everyday, as you all can well see. I am in college with a double major; my time is kind of limited, but I will try to update, at least every couple of weeks. I might be able to update a little more over the next couple of weeks because I am home for winter break, but after that, it will be a while between chapters. Sorry. **

**Glad to hear that some of you like this story. Even though I do it for me, and not for praise, I still like it; makes me happy.**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.**

Chapter 6

BPOV:

"What?" My face scrunched up in confusion. I saw his mouth move and heard the words, but they didn't make any sense. _I didn't have to die._ How could he say something like that, so simply and expect my not to keel over and faint at his words. Did this tall, dark and somewhat intimidating looking man have any idea what this would mean for us? Did he have the slightest inkling of how all of this is so going to change our lives? My life? Edward's? Charlie's? The Cullens'? The look on his face told me he did. Before I got too excited, I asked him to elaborate.

"We as Angels," he started, "can choose, if we are so inclined, to halt the aging process. Most do, in fact. That is, until they meet someone that they want to spend their life with. That is how it usually happens. A new angel is called, inspired and awed by this new and remarkable prospect of eternal youth, and thus they choose to remain young, untainted by the hands of time. But then, they live a while, and start to realize what it means. For some, the trigger is watching their friends and family grow old without them, but mostly it is a lover who changes their minds. Then they have children; and when the time comes, they choose the pass on their ability to the next generation, in hopes that good can be continued to be accomplished. It has become somewhat of a cycle." Caleb spoke with poetry. It reminded me of hearing Carlisle speak. His words and cadences were more melodic than I was used to and found myself captivated by the sounds of his words as well as the meaning behind them. Then he continued. "It also means that you are now invincible, invulnerable and quite remarkably strong. It will take some practice and experience to learn to control your strength and speed, but it shouldn't be too hard. With your unusual associations, something tells me this is something you have been preparing for anyway." He had a smirk that I didn't appreciate, in a very, "a little birdy told me" kind of way. But he was right. We were prepared for something like this. We just weren't prepared for how it would happen.

"So let me get this straight." Edward spoke for the first time since we came downstairs. He looked like he was about to go into shock at any moment. I didn't know if vampires could go into shock, but he looked like he was holding on to his sanity for dear life. This was completely unfathomable to all of us. Even Carlisle had never heard of anything like this before if that look on his face was anything to go by. "She is completely invincible. Nothing can harm her. Ever. The only thing that can kill her is old age, and only if she wants it to?" He was holding dearly to his calm, probably not wanting to get accidentally excited. I knew how he felt. This was a big deal.

"Don't get me wrong." Caleb looked suddenly became serious. "She can get hurt. She can feel pain. But it is almost like you, except your skin is thicker. She can bleed, but only a little. Nothing can kill her, but if it is strong enough, it can damage her." They were communicating to each other like I was no longer there with them.

"Excuse me." I said, waving my hand up in the air. "I'm still here." Turning to Edward, I said, "this is nothing new. I was always able to get hurt. This is just ten times better." Then I turned to Caleb. "Right? I don't want to get really excited here, without knowing exactly what this means. Everything. I'm sorry, but I just can't get a handle on all of this. I can feel this…presence inside of me." I suddenly became very intense as I tried to explain what I was feeling. "This power, it's primal, and pure and bright. It's showing me everything that you're saying. I believe you, but my mind just feels that this is all too good to be true. I can feel it; I just am so blown away."

"I know what you're feeling. I went through it too…a very long time ago. But, I assure you, everything I say is true. I am responsible for helping you find your footing and come to terms with what has happened to you. This is an amazing opportunity to realize your full potential and to help those around you. You get the chance that many dream of to make a true good difference in the world; and I'm going to help you. This is all just to help you too." He smiled a warm smile at me, and for the first time since he arrived, I felt a familiar presence emanating from him, like he's been there watching me, looking out for me. I felt like I could trust him. "I know this is a lot to take in. You need time to process this with your loved ones. " He turned to the Cullens and became very serious. "I trust that since you all have a secret of your own, I don't need to tell you how imperative it is that you keep this a secret. There are people out there that hunt us. We need to guard our secrecy so our mission isn't sacrificed. Protecting our own for the greater good is the most important thing to us. No one else is to know." He smiled again and said, "I'll leave you to process. When you're ready…to train, to talk, to learn, I'll know. Be careful. I'll be back soon." Without another word, he was gone.

I sat and thought about everything that he told me, a slow smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

It was several hours after talking with everyone, interpreting, analyzing, celebrating, that Edward and I were in his room, cuddled on the bed, absorbing everything in. Edward was the first to break the silence. "This is absolutely incredible." He whispered into my hair as his fingers slowly traced up and down my arms. I was still wrapped up in everything that this small gesture was comforting and soothing. "Just think, this could be the answer to every problem we faced. So far I have yet to see a serious bad side to this. Granted I don't know everything, but…this is unreal."

"Yeah." I couldn't really think of much more to say. I was so deep in thoughts that what he was saying was barely registering in my mind. This could really be everything. No more worries. No more problems. Edward could stop being so overprotective, and I could stop being so dangerous to myself. I could live forever with him and the Cullens without all of the trials and tribulations of becoming a vampire. True we wouldn't be the same, but at least we would at least finally be equal. I could help people. That was what really kept seeping back in. Carlisle and then Edward were always working hard to be doctors, to overcome their primal instincts innate in all vampires and do good. Now I have the chance to do that too. I could really make a difference. Do something that I could really be proud of. A smile started to play on my lips, and a kiss on my head brought me out of my reverie.

"You know, I always knew you were special. I just wished you could have showed us how special you are without the scare." His voice became serious and he started stroking my arms again. "I was…terrified." It must be hard for him to admit his vulnerability, because he was struggling with his words. "The thought of losing you, after everything we've been through. To know that you were worth everything, I would be willing to go to Hell and back if it meant keeping you. But to have some unseen force take you away from me anyway. It was more that I could stand." That made me frown.

I pulled away slightly and sat up. It startled him and he asked what was wrong. He said I was worth everything. That made me think of what happened when I was changing. I questioned him, our love. I had decided that he was worth it, but the fact that I questioned it at all nearly destroyed me. "Bella? What is it?"

"You are worth it." I whispered. He hugged me to him and I whipped out of his grasp and went to stand by the window. "No, you don't understand." I started to get upset. If he knew, if he knew that I questioned what we had, what would he think?

"Bella, I _don't_ understand. What's the matter? Why won't you look at me?" He tried to pull me away from the window to get me to look at him. Tears started to spill out of my eyes as I still remained silent. I didn't know what to say to him, and it was killing me inside that he was suddenly thinking this was his fault. "Bella, did I do something? What's wrong? Is something bothering you? I love you; whatever it is we can get through it together. Our love is strong enough."

"That's it!" I exclaimed, whipping around. "I questioned that love, Edward. I am a horrible person. I doubted you, us. I wondered, even though it was for a brief second, if we were worth it!" I started to break down. I was clutching the blanket around me so tightly, my knuckles were turning white. The tears were now flowing freely, and my voice was raspy with despair.

Edward just stood there, not comprehending what I was saying. He looked hurt by my words, but didn't realize what I was saying. "Bella, I don't understand where you're coming from. I don't know what you're saying." He tried to comfort me, but I pulled away again.

"What I'm saying is that I don't deserve you. You deserve someone who always has faith in you. You deserve someone who, in a moment of weakness, doesn't question their reason for living because times are a little hard. I was in pain, so much pain. I just wanted it to stop. And I was willing to sacrifice almost anything to get there. I love you, so much! I don't want to lose you and I don't want to ever live without you, but I can't stand the fact that you might look at me differently. That you might think that my love for you is anything less than absolute." I was crying too heavily now and my knees were buckling causing me to crumble to the floor. "I'm sorry, so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you, I'm sorry."

EPOV:

I caught Bella as she slid to the floor, clutching her tightly to my chest as she cried and begged my forgiveness. What happened, and what she confessed to me didn't break my heart. I know how she feels. What did what thinking about what would have caused her to feel this way. What had she gone through to make her feel like giving up was the only way? She is so strong, so full of life. Not even when every odd was against us and hope seemed like a fairytale did she give up. Seeing her like this broke my heart, and I had to do everything in my power to make it right again.

"Bella, it's alright. There is nothing to forgive. I love you, I always will." I whispered to her, over her pleas. "No matter what."

**AN: Review please. (Just no "update soon"s because they annoy…everyone, not just me). I really want to know what you think. Even if you hate it. I would like to know if I'm writing well. I am also looking for a Beta. If anyone is interested, please PM me.**


	9. You Come Home For 5 Min and Wham!

**AN: I have nothing really important to say, so I'll just skip saying much of anything at all. **

**No copyright infringement.**

**On with the story.**

Chapter 7

BPOV:

The next morning, I sat Indian-style on the floor in front of the window in Edward's room. The night before Edward and I talked; my feelings of betrayal and weakness didn't go away, but I felt at least a little bit better. Right now he was off hunting with his family; they didn't want to leave, but with this huge transformation having little to no warning and the stress of the last few days, they were all getting a little desperate. I was fine. I just needed to focus. They told me of my wings, and being an angel with the ability to fly, I knew I had them. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get them to come out. I tried everything. I jumped up into the air and off of furniture, but that just induced gravity, not wings. I also tried to push them out, but that only made me look silly…and somewhat constipated. Now I was trying spiritual retrieval. Visualize what you want and it will appear. Here it goes.

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

I was in a place of peace. I didn't realize how easy it was for me to discover and hold my calm. But suddenly finding myself in a place lacking in inner turmoil that allowed me to focus on myself mentally was something that I had not experienced before. I felt relaxed, centered and focused. I was in a state of awareness. I could feel everything around me. The air flowing like waves over my skin, sounding like the ocean. The light from the outside soaking into me, warming me. I could sense everything, every cell of my body, every breath I took. I could feel every muscle ripple with each inhalation and relax with every exhalation. I was in a pure state of self. I could feel it working. Any second now I knew I would feel the wings slide out of me like a song on the wind. Any second now…

Any second now…

Nothing.

I slumped down and exhaled loudly. I really felt like that was going to work. But after sitting there for a good hour, I felt relaxed and centered, but my wings were still locked tightly away. I got up, placed myself lazily on the couch and blew the loose pieces of air out of my face. I was frustrated.

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EPOV:

The route back to the house felt longer than usual. I wanted to get back to Bella. She said that she was just going to relax today, but I was still worried and wouldn't feel better until she was in my arms. With all of the stress we hadn't spent time alone together. My family was hunting further out, to give us the night together, while Charlie thought she was spending the weekend with Alice. Well, that's what we told him, but I think he just believes us to help his own sanity.

As I entered the house, I moved silently, wanting to surprise her. I slid soundless down the hall and up the stairs into our room, where I could smell her. I realized that her scent didn't allure me like it used to. It still called to me, but I felt no desire to feed on her. It just smelled like the sweetest fragrance that ever existed. I found her in our room sitting curled up on the sofa staring out the window at the clearing sky, a few stars starting to show through the clouds. She didn't move to greet me, so I figured she still didn't know I was there. As I snuck up behind her, I got ready to wrap my arms around her, when…

"Hello, Edward." Wait. What? That made me stop short. I was always able to surprise her. How did she know I was there when I didn't make a sound and she never saw me? She turned and smiled at me. "I can sense you now remember." She laughed, a sound that seemed more like a sweet whisper from a poet to their lover. "You can't be sneaky anymore mister." She giggled again and stood, letting the blanket fall back onto the couch and wrapped her arms around my back.

Mine slid around her waist and held her close to me. Seeing her in one piece, after everything we went through over the last couple of days, was like a breath of fresh air. Having her in my arms was even better. "I missed you." She whispered up at me, as I cupped her cheek and stroked her soft skin. She was absolutely brilliant. If possible, her skin glowed even more and her eyes lit up with a new spirit, that I had only caught glimpses of in the past.

"You have no idea." I whispered into her lips as I softly pressed mine to hers. There was tenderness in this kiss we shared. Something special between two souls. It wasn't rushed, hard or fierce. Her lips were soft and moved in perfect synchronicity with my own, like we were meant to fit together, the only two people in the world. Moving at the same slow, rhythmic speed, and as calm as fall afternoon walk in the park. There was no need for anything else in the world, for at this moment in time, we were it; all that mattered and all that will ever mean anything. I stroked her eyelids with my thumb and trailed my fingers down her neck and shoulders to rest on her back, holding her to me. Her hands came up to rest on my cheeks like she was memorizing my face in her mind. If all of the love in the world were bottled up and concentrated, it would not compare to the amount between the two of us in the very still, quiet moment in time, for right now was when we had everything.

All of a sudden, her back arched and we broke apart as she stumbled into me, an unexpected force crashing through our peace. Before me stood, not Bella, the girl, but Bella, the Angel. Her wings proud and strong stretched and held high on her back. She was surprised, and as I looked closely at her face, she pouted with what looked a little like frustration and annoyance. "I have been trying to do that all day, you come home for 5 minutes and Wham! They come out." She pouted some more and stretched and flapped her wings about. I couldn't help but chuckle and pull her close to me again. She really was beautiful when she pouted.

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EPOV:

By the end of the week, Bella had gotten most of her strength back, and she was getting anxious. School was starting up again and she was nervous, but at least it would cure us all of our restlessness. Thankfully Charlie hadn't noticed any severe changes in her when she went back home, but she was still cautious around him. She didn't want her strength coming in at full force at an inopportune moment. She hated lying to him, but we all understood what it felt like and she knew why she had to do it. It bothered her, and although there was already some distance between the two of them, their relationship with each other would survive this. I was sure.

She had also spoken to Caleb, even though school was starting, she insisted that she was ready to start training. And of course, he was more than willing to oblige. Once we got settled into the semester, she would start taking her Saturdays deep into the woods to hone her new abilities and learn the ins and outs of being an Angel. As much as I didn't want this time to be spent away from each other, I had to learn that some things are just more important than me. It's a hard lesson to learn. But I had to be supportive; I had to be strong for Bella. Because if I am this tense over what she is going through, I can't imagine how she feels.

It was the Sunday before the first day of school; and we were spending a quite afternoon in her living room…reading. She was facing me, her knees up in the air, with her book propped in her lap, while I mirrored her on the opposite side. As hectic as time had been, it was very peaceful, sitting with my beloved, playing footsie under the blanket we shared, spending a quite evening together. I must admit that I spent more time watching her than actually reading the book in front of me. She was so beautiful, and after everything that had happened, to know that our worries were more or less over, was an amazing feeling that I could not help but cherish.

I was just soaking her all in. Her hair was gleaming in the light of the table-side lamp, forming a halo around her head. I smiled at the irony and moved to her face. It was effulgent. Her eyes, so inquisitive and soulful; her lips, soft and full with a slight pout at the corners, sensual and alluring, without making her look like a courtesan; her jaw, prominent and strong. I followed the line of her face down her chin and along her neck. There was something about how the light hit the soft creamy skin of her throat that made me melt inside. I noticed a shift in her eyes, as she now glanced up at me and met my gaze. She caught me staring, and stared back. With a soft, sweet smile of the innocent, she whispered, "I love you," and turned back to her book. If at all possible, in that one fraction of a second, I fell more absolutely in love with her, died and went to heaven. She had the ability to make me feel human, like I was a better person. I was special and deserving enough to earn the love and trust of this innocent, pure, angelic creature in front of me, and I was not about to waste that blessing.

In my opinion, there is something spiritual and sacred about being in love with Bella. I had never been religious. In fact, ever since I became a vampire, I felt that God had turned his back on our kind, on me. But since falling in love with Bella, I have started to feel a little differently. I still couldn't understand how anything like me deserved to cross the pearly gates, but maybe I wasn't a total loss. How can such a benevolent presence allow the utter perfection that is Bella to fall in love with me? I don't think I can ever understand how I became so lucky, but I'll be damned, no pun intended, if I mess up this blessing. Bella deserves to be worshiped like a Goddess. Her name deserves to be spoken like a prayer on the lips of saints. Her soul and mine are so fully intertwined and I vowed to protect hers with mine at all costs and never let her go. I didn't know where this new found sense of spirituality cam from. Maybe it was her transformation or my realization of the existence of a presence so great that can give the world someone as perfect as Bella. I didn't know, but I wasn't about to question this gift. It was far too special, far too important, for me to risk losing. Ever.

**AN: **

**1. I just want you to know that I am not very religious, and this will not be a God this, Christian that story. But Bella is an Angel, so there will be some slight talk of spirituality in here occasionally. This is probably the bulk of it. I just thought it would be interesting to take a look at Edward's new found perspective on religion, now that his beloved is an Angel.**

**2. Also, the romance in this story is going to be that, romantic. I am very tasteful when it comes to romance, so I want you all to know that there will be no smut or lemons in this story. There will however, be intimate moments in the future of this story, but they will stay that way, intimate. I'm sorry if smut was what you were looking for.**

**3. I have a fear of this coming into criticism, so I'll address it now. Bella, and Edward for that matter, is not perfect. They see each other that way, because they are so deeply in love that they are perfect for each other. But they both have flaws and they both make mistakes. They are "human" after all. They are aware of the flaws that each of them has, but when you are that deeply in love, it doesn't matter. **

**That's the end of my schpeal. Thank you for listening.**


	10. Bellawe're Angels!

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I'm in college. It happens. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is not too exciting, but its very informative. And I worked really hard on it. The next chapter will be more exciting…I hope. I don't know, I haven't written it yet. Maybe a little bit of romance for those of you, myself included, who miss the Edward and Bella time. But for now, here is my longest chapter yet.**

**Disclaimer: I own the material not created by the wonderful SM. **

**Chapter 8**

BPOV:

Edward looked deep into my eyes and held me close. "We don't have to do this," he whispered; his sweet breath fanned across my face, melting me inside, his strong and firm hands running sensually up and down my back. "If you're not ready; if you'd rather wait…"

"No," I cut him off, softly. "I want to. I'm ready." I smiled coyly up at him. He was so beautiful in this light. Slowly and without any hesitation, he leaned in and kissed me. And even now, after all of this time together, he still affects me like the very first time. Our kiss was starting to get passionate, when I heard the refrigerator door close loudly, startling us both.

"You two kids don't want to be late for your first day of school, do you? You better get going." Charlie always had perfect timing. Edward took my bag over his shoulder and my hand in his, as we headed out to his car. He had been bugging me over the past several days if I was sure I was ready to go to school. No matter how many times I insisted I was fine, he still felt the need to ask. It was sweet; his concern was touching, really. But, it also started to get a little irritating. I guess even though I was starting to get used to my new senses and strength, he still felt the need to look out for me. Some things will never change, I guess.

I was lost in thought on the short ride to school, and Edward let me be, holding my hand and keeping me anchored. I was ready to start training with Caleb. I wanted to know what my body could do, what I was capable of. But even more so, I was interested to learn about our kind. Obviously, Charlie had no idea, otherwise I could have asked him some questions; I wanted to know about my grandmother. Not who she was, because I knew her before she died. But I wanted to know about what she did before she met my grandfather. How many people had she helped? What did she do for them? What were her powers? Why did she think that I was worthy of this gift? There were just so many things that I wanted to learn. I was ready to learn them too. But I did have plenty of time; I had all the time in the world.

Edward squeezed my hand to let me know we arrived. After exiting the car, he claimed my hand in his again and we proceeded to our first hour class. No doubt we had the same schedule. I noticed as we walked that we got a few more stares than when we left for vacation. Was everyone noticing something different about me, or were they all just checking to see if our relationship survived the summer? Whatever it was, I knew I really didn't miss the staring. Since I still didn't know how to control my wings, I was going to have to be extra careful, especially with all the attention. The other night, I was cooking dinner and accidentally splattered some hot oil from the stove onto my arm. Not enough to cause any damage but enough to startle me. I was so surprised that my wings shot out, like a bat out of hell and knocked down all of the things I had on the counter. It would have been slightly comical if it hadn't ripped off my t-shirt and didn't have to spend the next hour and a half cleaning flour off of the floor. I really don't know what is causing these weird spasms, but I really want to understand how I can control it. If I didn't learn how to soon, I could be showing some very lucky viewers a sight more than they bargained for. Sitting down at my desk for first hour, I really started to get annoyed with the staring. Maybe coming to school now wasn't the best idea.

"Hey, Bella." Oh, joy! I thought sarcastically, as I turned to the voice, knowing already who it belonged to. I gave Mike a weak, patronizing smile, hoping beyond reason that he wouldn't stick around. He wasn't a bad person, but I still found him leaving a bad vibe in the atmosphere. Maybe all of the evil in my past has lowered my tolerance for people. I've noticed that I have started to become a little bitter. I'd have to work on that, if I was to be helping people.

"Hey, Mike. How was your summer?" Not that I really needed to ask. I had worked with him some at the store, and saw him more than I had liked. Perhaps it was too much to hope that he wouldn't feel the need to say hi to me because we had seen each other so recently.

He became very enthusiastic over my attention. "Not bad. Yours?" No such luck. I smiled again and nodded in what I hoped looked like apathy.

"Fine. Nothing overly exciting." Yeah, right. Like finding out you're a supernatural being with powers and a mission to help people as some warrior of God is nothing overly exciting. I have always been a terrible liar. Hopefully Mike wasn't picking up any traces of my self-doubt and panic. "It was nice. Spending time with Edward." I wrapped my arms through his, and watched, smugly I'm afraid to say, as Mike's smirk faded and he remembered that I was happily taken. Thankfully, he took this as his cue to leave, and said a quick, "See ya later." Smiling back at Edward, who kissed my forehead, I leaned back into my own seat and settled in for class.

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School wasn't actually as bad as I had feared. I tried to avoid anything that might startle or frighten me, and thankfully there were no mishaps. I was starting to develop a new outlook. Maybe I could do this. I would have to work on my lying though. I'm pretty sure there are at least a couple of people walking around here who are sure that I am completely outside my mind, but at least they don't suspect what is really going on, which is a comfort. So far I hadn't seen anyone who needed help. And even I had, I'm not sure I would have known what to do to help them. I mean, I'm not a therapist. I'm not Oprah, or Dr. Phil. I don't know how to help people with their mental or emotional problems, and even if they had physical ones, I'm not sure I could have helped them with those either. I'm not a doctor; that's Carlisle's forte. Because I'm such a mess, I probably would have gotten them killed instead. Yup, that would've looked great on the resume.

The first week was pretty uneventful, thanks in large part to me keeping myself all under control. It was great to see some of guys again, and be in a routine. But I was happy for it to be the weekend. I would finally get to start training. Hopefully I wasn't a complete loss cause. I hope it's a testament to a change in my nature that I haven't caused any serious destruction courtesy of my clumsiness. I'm wondering if maybe that is one thing I can leave behind me, so that I can be serious in my training. I don't want anything to interfere. I'm really excited about this.

It was 6 o'clock. A little early, but I was excited. Pulling on an outfit of stretch pants, a tee and a sweatshirt that I know Alice would frown upon, I ran down the stairs, out the door and into Edward. "What are you doing here?" I asked smiling up at his unexpected presence.

"I just wanted to accompany you to your first day of training. I know I won't be able to stay; I wouldn't want to distract you. But I figured you could use some 'You can do it' and 'I have the utmost faith in you'." After thanking him, and giving him a sweet, yet quick kiss, he led me to his car. We didn't talk, I just enjoyed Edward's presence, before we had to part. He just held my hand in support as he drove me to our meeting place.

Pulling up to the trail in the woods, Edward started to look apprehensive. "Are you sure this is where you're supposed to go?"

"Yeah," I stated, grabbing his hand and getting out of the car. "I can feel it. I know where to go."

"Okay, call me when you're done. Good luck." With that he left. I could tell, he wasn't a fan of this time apart, but I knew he understood how important it was for me. Closing my eyes and sensing the world around me, I focused on Caleb. Then I took off running.

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I met Caleb at the edge of a clearing. It was large, and slightly majestic looking, but still not as nice as the meadow Edward took me to when we met. As the sun started to get a little higher in the sky, it started heating the air, so I took my sweatshirt off. Tossing it to the side, I greeted Caleb with an enthusiastic smile. "Alright. What do I learn first?" Caleb laughed lightly at me. He was a very serious man most of the time, but when he smiled, you could tell he was probably a heartbreaker in his day.

"Not so fast. First we need to talk." I could feel my face fall. What? "A lot."

"Okay." I wasn't sure what we needed to talk about; I mean sure, did I have any idea what I was doing? No, so I figured that we had to talk a little, but I hadn't thought that it would cut into the time that I could be learning other things. But hey, what do I know?

Caleb sat down Indian-style in the grass, an image that looked slightly comical because it was such a innocent gesture made by a serious and powerful man. But I followed suit. "Okay," he started. "Why don't you tell me how you have been doing this past week. You're back in school, how is that going? How are you feeling?"

I gave a half smile; I felt like I was in therapy. Pretty soon, he'd ask me to analyze ink blots. "Good, I guess. I'm still a little weak, which I guess is good, because you said when my full strength comes in, it will be a little disorienting. My new sight and hearing is…weird. It's kind of like wearing glasses that are a little too strong for your eyes and listening to your music too loud. I had to ask a couple of people to stop shouting at me, when they weren't, which was slightly embarrassing, but if there is anything that the Cullens are really good at, its damage control." I laughed and took a breath…yup, I still felt like I was in therapy. See, I had this dream…

I continued anyway. "And my olfactory senses…wow, I now have a fabulous sense of smell." He chuckled slightly at this and nodded his head.

"Well, before I tell you whatever else you don't know, do you have any questions?" Boy, did I ever? But I knew that most of them would have to wait.

"Actually, I do have a few. I suddenly know all of these things that I couldn't possibly know. When I think about something for too long, I start to know more and more things about it. I know how many things there are without counting them; I know where people are without hearing or seeing them. I can find my way around places without having been there before. Is this normal? Am I supposed to be experiencing all of this?"

"Yes, all of that is completely normal." Caleb settled back a little, leaning against the tree we were sitting under. He sighed before continuing. "We have the ability to draw on the collective. Now what that means is that, without even realizing it, we have the ability to gather information about things because other people know about them. The closer we are to people, the more connected we are to them. This is both a physical and emotional bond. Its main purpose is to help us when we are working with our charges. It helps us know more about their lives, who they are as people and what they've been through without having to spend a lot of time getting to know them. It also helps us to locate them, when we don't know where they are." He paused to think about something and then let out an unexpected laugh. "I don't really know why we quantify things without having to count them; I think it might be for time saving purposes, but I haven't found a really strong need for the gift yet. Maybe you'll discover something. Was that all?" He asked, tilting his head, and squinting his eyes slightly at me.

And I snorted. Not very nice I know, but I was not even close. "Yeah, I've been having problems with my wings…I can't seem to control them. They come out when I don't expect them to and they won't appear when I try to bring them out. I don't understand. Isn't that something that I'm supposed to know how to do?"

Caleb seemed excited to finally be explaining things to me, even though he'd never intentionally show it, but I could tell he was because he was animatedly using his hands. It must have been tough waiting for me to grow up. "Your wings, just like all of your other powers, the ones you have now, as well as the ones you will develop, are dependent on a deep connection with your inner self. I know that sounds cheesy, but you need to be connected to your emotions. We are spiritual beings, and at the base of spirituality is self, truth. I understand you have been experimenting with meditation, as well as…other colorful techniques." I blushed at this. In retrospect, it definitely does seem silly. "You were actually on the right track with this; however, I think you just weren't sure of exactly what you were supposed to be focusing on. That is something that we will be working on today. It should come relatively easy to you. But don't be fooled. Most of what we accomplish in our sessions will not come easily; it will take a lot of effort, and you need to be willing to put in that effort." I nodded.

"Okay." He asked me if that was it and I told him it was for now. He was now going to fill me in on anything else that I should know.

"Alright then. You know the basics. Your heightened senses," I nodded, "your ability to halt the aging process," I nodded again, "your wings," and again. "Okay, when you fly, this is important so listen up." My ears perked. "Once you are able to master your wings, flying will come as naturally to you as breathing. Also, no one will be able to see you fly unless you want them to. This whole flight-invisibility is one of the reasons we have been able to keep our secrecy, which is of the utmost importance for our mission." I really focused on what he was saying to me, I wanted to do this right; I wanted to know as much as possible.

He continued. "Okay, these traits are innate in all of us. You will also develop your own abilities that are unique only to you. Most of them are defensive mechanisms and internal gifts, like empathy and clairvoyance. We are mostly passive creatures by nature, and we don't really have many gifts that are offensive or that can change anything after its already happened like time travel or healing." I stopped him here.

"What do you mean offensive? We can't fight back? Didn't you say that there are people out there who want to hurt us? We can't do anything to stand up for ourselves?" I didn't understand. Wouldn't that make us sitting ducks?

He held up a hand to stop me. "I didn't say that. We are actually very well equipped offensively. We each have our own weapon, so to speak. They are called fire swords, but they can range from anything like a whip to an axe. They are quite effective in defending ourselves. It is kind of interesting, because the weapon chooses you, not the other way around. When we start training, yours will appear to you. Also, we are not allowed to possess powers like healing and time travel. They just leave for too many variables; you start playing God. There is actually only one case, in which an Angel has the ability to heal, and even that is only a myth. Anything else?"

I shook my head again, and blushed. "I'm sorry, I won't interrupt again." He chuckled and spoke again.

"No, I want you to be inquisitive. I want to make sure you understand. Are you good, or do you have any more questions?"

I shook my head. This was a lot to take in, but my mind wasn't having any problems. That was probably part of the deal, more mental capacity. I was grateful. I wanted to absorb as much as possible.

"Aside from the weapon that you will be equipped with, you will also be learning several forms of martial arts and fighting techniques. You wouldn't think so, but we get a lot of cause to be well trained in this way. It makes it easier on us to protect and help and guide our charges when we are well trained and experienced." He could probably tell that I was uneasy, because he stopped talking and just looked at me.

"I am curious. You keep talking about our mission, our charges, helping people, but what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Have you been having the dreams?" He asked, and leaned forward towards me, emphasizing in a subtle way that this was important. I nodded.

"I don't know what they mean, though. They're just a bunch of people I've never seen before. I know that some of them are Angels, but I don't know who the rest are."

"Yes, some of them are Angels. Past angels who will help you through your subconscious. Their stories will help guide you and teach you lessons you need to learn."

"And the others?"

"The others are your charges; they are the people who need your help. After your training, you will be able to find them. You're still developing your powers, your strength, your senses; it might be a little while before you can start finding people you don't know. Now, I know that you haven't been sleeping as much as you usually would and that you're not even tired because of it. This is normal. We rest a lot more fully, when we sleep, and therefore do not need to do it as often."

"Yeah…" I said, scrunching up my face in confusion. To be completely honest, I hadn't really noticed. I just figured that I was excited about school and training that I wasn't sleeping as much. And spending peaceful nights with Edward was just so relaxing. "Will I be having these dreams all the time?" Some of the dreams I have been having were not pleasant at all. Some of them really frightened me. So far, Edward doesn't seem to have noticed a difference in my sleeping, which I was grateful for, because I didn't want him to worry.

"You will be having them more frequently now, because you are still learning and adjusting, but once you are comfortable in your knowledge and skill, they should slow down. During times of intense hardship, like war for instance, you might have them more often; but they should slow down soon." Of this, I was glad.

I tilted my head to the side with a new thought. Suddenly something struck me as kind of odd. "This seems all rather…" I paused, searching for the right word. "Ideal. I don't know. There is something about all of this that is just too perfect. Everything fits together. There is a logical and significant reason for everything. Nothing doesn't make sense. All that we are and all that we can do is harmoniously tied to the cause for greater good and world peace and saving the helpless. Doesn't that seem way too utopian to be real?"

His face spread out into a warm, smug smile. "Bella…we're Angels."

After a second, I thought about it and smiled too.

Caleb laughed at my new-found, gleeful smile, sighed fully and clapped his hands while rubbing them together. "Now," he started, "you know everything you should before we start.. The rest will come with training. If you don't have anymore questions…let us begin."

**Author's note: I hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought. I absolutely love feedback, especially when the reviewer takes the time to elaborate. Thanks a bunch!**


	11. I'm Not Fragile Anymore

**AN: Okay guys, here is a somewhat fluffy chapter for your enjoyment…be prepared! It gets a little steamy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 9**

BPOV:

I was huffing and slightly sore when I put my key in the lock and used the momentum of my already moving body to propel myself through my front door and onto the living room couch. Not caring where I landed, I let my knees knock onto the armrest and topple my body over the side. I lay face planted in the sofa cushions, not bothering that I was starting to need oxygen; I couldn't move. Just thinking about the past month of training was enough to make me grunt in exhaustion. But as tired as I was, and as thin as I was stretching myself, I could tell I was making Caleb proud.

I had been doing basic training: strength and endurance training, meditation, yoga, Pilates and basic martial arts and kick boxing. Oh, and running…lots of running. But as strong as I was, he only pushed me harder. Caleb was tougher than me, and was helping me to gain control of my new body and deal with all of the intense changes. And I was tired. I was pouring my whole being into doing this right, but there is a small price to pay for it. My wings had come out a couple of times that I didn't want them to while I was training, but I had managed to keep them mostly in check. I was even able to bring them out of my own volition occasionally, but it was still a work in progress. Caleb said that I would be able to start my flight training soon. The good news was that I now had muscles that would make Emmett proud.

It was Saturday night, Edward was coming over early tomorrow so we could spend the day together, since Charlie would be out fishing until late. That thought alone was enough to make me shove off the couch and shuffle my way up to my room, even though I had seriously considered just staying on the couch. But that didn't mean that I wasn't dragging my feet and bitching and moaning all the way up the stairs. I really didn't want to move.

OOO000ooo…

I woke up the next day to the early morning sun streaming through my window and a pair of strong arms holding me close. I hummed pleasantly as I shifted to face my love. "Good morning." He smiled an kissed my nose.

"I love it when I get to watch you sleep. I hardly get to do that anymore. It's nice to know that some things haven't changed though," he said as he brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "What did I say?" He just chuckled and continued to brush my hair back from my face in an affectionate way.

"Nothing new. You mostly say you love me." He smiled an rubbed my chin.

I smiled back. "Yeah, well, you knew that already."

"It's still nice to hear it." I suddenly became serious and looked deep into his eyes.

"I love you." His smile returned and he leaned in to kiss me softly before pulling away. I loved him. I really did, but it bothered me that he was still so careful around me. I thought that when I was different, things would change. They would be better, but I guess he just can't get used to the fact that I'm no longer completely helpless. With a little bit more training and the element of surprise, I could probably even take him in a fight. You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but after my transformation, I became quite strong. Part of my strength training was learning how to control that strength, which I think I manage to do pretty well, except for that one time with the door of my truck, but Rosalie fixed it. Just because I still need to train doesn't mean I'm dainty. I would just have to talk to him about it…again.

It was after we had relocated downstairs and I was seated at the kitchen table eating breakfast, that I saw Edward fiddling with an envelope in his hands. "What's that?" I asked with a mouth full of toast.

He sighed, placing it on the table and sliding it over to me. "With everything that happened, we got so busy and preoccupied; and then school started up again, and you started training, that I never got the chance to give you your birthday present." He paused, looking at me. I don't think I had moved yet. "I know it's a month late, but I still want you to have it."

Wiping my hands on a napkin, I pealed off the bow and ripped through the paper. I pulled out what looked to be like… "Plane tickets?" He nodded. As I continued to read, my breath caught in my throat. "You got me plane tickets to Phoenix," I stated quietly, suddenly overcome with emotion. I knew what he was doing, and it was very touching.

"Well, we were talking a lot about you going out of the public eye for a while, before all this happened, and I wanted to give you a chance to see all your friends from Phoenix before that. Now you don't exactly have to, but, I don't know, it might be nice for you to see them again. I was thinking we could maybe go in June, once we graduated, before college." I was nodding and looking back and forth between him and the tickets. I could tell he was getting anxious with me not saying anything, so I eased his fears.

"Thank you." He could tell that I was truly touched by his gift; I loved it very much. Leaning forward, I gave him a soft kiss on the lips, but as I tried to deepen it, he pulled away. Sighing, I knew I had to talk to him about this or I would drive myself crazy, but now was not the time. Instead, I smiled at him and finished my breakfast.

OOO000ooo…

It was approaching 7 o'clock. We had spent the day talking, listening to music, watching movies and just hanging out. It was really nice. Things had been so hectic, that we hadn't had that much time to spend together lately. I was cuddled into his side with his arm around my shoulders, his hand running up and down my sleeve. All of a sudden he started placing soft, sensual kisses on my jaw and neck, making me sigh. "Don't start something you can't finish, Edward," I warned.

"Who says I can't finish it?" He said, continuing his trail down to my shoulder. This was it; maybe he was just adjusting to my change; maybe he would stop being so ridiculously protective of me. I sighed, turning so I could kiss his beautiful and perfectly shaped lips. We kissed softly for a while, before I wiped my tongue along his bottom lip…the true test. I guess I got my hopes up too soon; he pushed me away.

"Damn it, Edward." I snarled, frustrated. I didn't mean to get so harsh, but this had been weighing on me since we first started dating, and now that I was different, I seriously thought things would change. There are really are only so many times that a person can take rejection before actually feeling rejected. It starts to hurt.

"Bella…what-" He couldn't finish. Of course he couldn't; he didn't know what was bothering me, partially because I didn't talk to him about it, and partially because he just didn't get it. I always like to think he's perfect, but sometimes he can be rather dense. I still felt bad for snapping at him; it wasn't entirely his fault that I waited this long to confront him.

Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair, grabbing a fist full and letting out a frustrated groan. "Sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you; I'm just a little annoyed. And its not entirely your fault; I should have told you what was bothering me. It's just…" He adjusted us on the couch so we were completely facing each other and shut off the movie.

"Bella, what is it?" I licked my lips and looked at him, reluctantly beginning; here goes nothing.

"I'm just frustrated. You and I always talked about how different things would be when I became a vampire. Granted that I'm not exactly a vampire now, but the general principle is still the same. We agreed that we were going to be equals, that you weren't going to be so overprotective of me, shielding me from the world for my own good. I'm a big girl, Edward. I don't want to be kept from the wonderful things in life, I want to experience them." I started to get a little more emotional as I was talking. Thinking about how he was treating me, no matter how well intentioned or unintentional, was making me angry. He tried to interject into my pause, but I cut him off.

"Let me finish, please. Edward, I love you." I placed both of my hands on either side of his face. "But for our love to work, you need to trust me. And I don't mean that generally, but I mean really _trust_ me. I am a lot stronger now, maybe even stronger than you. I did my research, and it says that you can't hurt me. Your teeth, your venom, it does nothing to me. We can finally be who we really are to each other. There is no holding back, no hiding, no tucking away who you are because your afraid of scaring me or hurting me." I heaved a heavy sigh; I really wanted to get through to him. If he couldn't respect me, if he couldn't get off of his high horse and truly _be_ with me, then we were going to be having problems. Jumping off the couch, I walked over to the far wall and paced a little. He moved toward me, but didn't make a move to touch me. I think he was absorbing everything I was telling him. That strong furrow in his brow told me he was thinking hard.

"In the past you may have felt that I was weak, that I was this dangerous little girl that always managed to get herself into trouble that you needed to get me out of. But everything is different now. I'm different now! And you! You always thought you were this monster. Someone who destroyed everything he touched. While this was never true, your thoughts concerning you where I am concerned are now null and void. And I'm not that fragile little girl anymore, Edward. I need you to understand that, because I don't know about you, but all of this light treading, this tip-toeing around is driving me absolutely crazy." I opened my arms to him, and he stepped towards me.

"In order for us to get passed this, we need to completely understand each other. Things will be different now. So…no more constant worrying, only the normal amount of worrying allowed. No more brooding about not being equals; you and I, we're the same now. We can do anything if we do it together, we're two halves of the same whole. No more protecting me against my will because you think its what's best for me. If either of us needs protecting, we'll talk about it first." He smiled at me and ran his fingers down the length of my face and arms, while my hands rested on his shoulders. I tilted my head to the side, giving him a wry smile. _Heeheehee. I did it._

"No more being overly gentile," I whispered into his ear. Suddenly, I pushed him abruptly into the wall, emphasizing my point. "Because I'm not fragile anymore." Without another word, I was kissing him, and he wasn't holding back, wrapping his arms tightly behind my back. Just the sudden fervor in his kisses was enough for me to die happy, but I was in no way, shape or form prepared for what he did next…

He flipped us around and knocked me forcefully into the wall, trapping me there with his body. I gasped and pulled him closer still. This was how we were supposed to be: unrestrained, unrepentant, completely, irresistibly and irrevocably in love. He tightly grasped my thighs and lifted me up the wall, allowing me to drape my legs around his waist. This was pure heaven, pure bliss. He was still respectful, of course. I mean, deep down, he is still a gentleman. But that didn't stop him from suddenly taking full advantage of my new found durability. You can only sexually suppress a perpetual teenager for so long, and I think Edward had suffered enough. I knew that we still wanted to wait to be fully intimate with each other, but that didn't mean that we couldn't enjoy ourselves a little.

I, personally, was loving the way his hands gripped my hips tightly, his fingers digging into my thighs, as he pressed me into the wall. Our tongues were dancing to the most beautiful rhythm and I thought my heart just might burst. Kissing Edward had always been an incredible experience, but nothing compared to this. I could feel every line of his body, as he pressed into me. I could feel every emotion, every thought that he ever had for me through this total lack of restraint. He really loved me. This was not the kiss of the hormonal 'couple of the week' in the hallway outside the locker room. This was a kiss shared by soul mates, by two people who knew in the depths of their very souls every inch of the other person and not only loved them despite of their faults, but because of them. This kiss was so intense with emotion, passion, and utter euphoria that I could almost feel myself dying of sensory overload. There was nothing overly sexual about our kissing; it was just incredibly passionate, sensual and free that I wouldn't be surprised if it brought me to tears.

As if I couldn't handle it enough as it was, he did the unthinkable. He bit me. In the throws of passion and our intense open-mouthed kisses, he took my lip between his teeth and bit down softly causing the most incredible sensation to course through my veins. I gasped and captured his mouth with mine again. I knew that if he had had any doubt that I wasn't one hundred percent sure of what I said, he wouldn't have done it. He was trusting me; he was finally trusting me completely. That was it. My heart broke at the sheer beauty of the moment of understanding and tears spilled out of my eyes, as he continued to kiss me with abandon.

AN: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, **REVIEWS MAKE ME UPDATE FASTER!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

AN:

I'm really sorry for the delay, and for this fake chapter…

I really hate it when an author's note comes up instead of a chapter after a long wait, but it won't be that much longer, I promise.

Here's the problem: WRITER'S BLOCK!!!

I have a general outline and several future chapter parts written, but I don't know what to do immediately next.

Any ideas to spark inspiration, and the more inspiration, the sooner the next chapter will come out.

Again, I'm sorry for the fake out and the wait, it'll be over soon.


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